Street Signs to Identify Businesses Discussed

A plan to place signs on a downtown lamppost identifying nearby businesses is being studied.

Alderman Carol Johnson is spearheading a plan that would enable businesses to purchase street-sign style metal signs that would be attached to the city lampposts.

The signs would be similar to signs Johnson saw at the St. Louis Zoo and on Jefferson Street in St. Louis.

Paul Stojeba, Sign Experts, prepared an illustration of the project that would place 6- by 24-inch black metal signs, with business names painted in white and an arrow pointing east or west toward the business.

Speaking at the Sept. 17 board of aldermen meeting, Johnson said downtown business owners wanted the signs to help direct motorists to their businesses.

“Our first hurdle was who would pay for the signs,” Johnson said. “All the downtown businesses that I’ve talked to say they will purchase their own signs.”

If the project gains approval, the first group of signs will be affixed to the lamppost on St. Louis street on the west side of First, near the clock.

Eventually the program would be offered in other neighborhoods identifying businesses there.

“We wanted to do one to show how the program works,” Johnson said.

Johnson said she worked with Sign Experts, who designed the metal banners and determined the cost to each business to produce the sign.

“I’m hoping the city will accept the cost to install the signs,” Johnson said.

Mayor Herb Adams said he’s in favor of the project, but wanted it known that whatever the city does for one group of businesses, it must make available to all businesses.

Johnson said she identified eight businesses between Sixth and Columbus Streets on St. Louis that would want to participate in the sign program.

Alderman Mike Pigg worried that so many signs on one post would place some too low on the lamppost for motorists to read, but Johnson said she is still working on the design.

The objective of the project is to help people find the goods and services that are available in Pacific.